


why everybody gotta learn the hard way?

by lostintranslaation



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Gen, Misophonia, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Sensory Overload, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, no beta here ladies and gents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:22:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22539295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostintranslaation/pseuds/lostintranslaation
Summary: Peter has a misophonic episode in front of Tony and they learn how to deal with it together.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 25
Kudos: 145





	why everybody gotta learn the hard way?

**Author's Note:**

> In honor of the Superbowl today and all the times similar scenarios have happened to me with the Superbowl-related snacks, I wrote this. Thankfully, I was traveling this year, and was on a plane during the game, so I didn't have to deal with this haha. For those of you who don't know what misophonia is, Wikipedia says this: "[misophonia is] a condition in which negative emotions, thoughts, and physical reactions are triggered by specific sounds." I've dealt with misophonia for many years, and unfortunately it only gets worse the older you get (unless your hearing starts to go)
> 
> Title is from "First Try" by Johnnyswim.

_Breathe._

_Breathe._

_Breathebreathebreathebreathebreathebreathebreathe._

Peter knows what was going to happen even before Tony sits down on the couch with his plate of nachos. He raises a chip chip to his mouth, dripping with cheese and all the toppings and:

**_C R U N C H_ **

The noise echoes in Peter’s ears, bouncing around in his head until it finds a resting place in his eardrums. Peter bites the inside of his mouth to refocus himself, _It’s not like he can just_ not _eat._

May had always noticed when Peter became triggered, and would leave the room or chew more quietly. _He doesn’t know_ _._ The tips of Peter’s ears turn red and he realizes air can’t enter his lungs.

_Ican’tbreatheIcan’tbreatheIcan’tbreathe._

Peter gets up and he hopes he doesn’t look how he feels as he desperately tries to get to the bathroom where he thinks he will finally be able to force some air into his lungs. In his haste to get to the privacy of the restroom, he knocks into the coffee table and almost falls on his face. He looks back, cheeks and ears burning hot.

“Hey, kid, you alright?” Tony calls out.

“Yep, I’m good! Just a little clumsy,” Peter laughs, trying to cover up the fact that tears are springing into his eyes begging to be released.

Peter barely makes it into the bathroom, locking the door behind him before he collapses, gasping for air, lungs burning. Tears flood his eyes as he sits there on his hands and knees, shaking.

**_C R U N C H_ **

It’s back. Peter knows that it’s completely quiet, but the noise returns, every echo grinding his eardrums until Peter has chewed the insides of his cheeks completely raw.

Peter presses his palms onto his ears as hard as he can. It doesn’t help.

For what seems like an eternity, Peter lays there shaking and crying.

_This is stupid, Peter. He was just trying to eat. Maybe if you would stop being so dramatic, you wouldn’t have this problem. Other people have it so much worse. Some people can’t even have jobs, have families. Compared to them, you have it easy! Stop being so dramatic!_

“-ete,” Knock. Knock. “Pete!” Tony’s voice pulls Peter out of his head, knocking becoming more and more intense the longer Tony's call goes without response. “Pete, open this door right now.” Peter can only whimper as the initial _crunch_ still echoes in his head. That is all the prompting Tony needs to have FRIDAY unlock the door for him so he can come in. 

“Kid, kid, kid, hey,” he touches Peter’s shoulder and Peter flinches back so hard his head jerks into the wall behind him.

“I’m sorry,” Peter hyperventilates now, trying his hardest to force the words out, “I’m sorry Mis’er S’ark, I’m sorry.” Everything is too bright, too loud, too much. Peter squeezes his eyes shut and curls into himself, wishing Tony would just _leave him alone_.

“Hey, you’re okay, it’s okay,” Tony shushes Peter, completely unaware of what is happening, “Hey FRI, what’s going on with the Spider-Baby?” An edge of panic laces Tony's voice and Peter would have felt bad, if he could think about anything other than the wretched noise in his ears and the lights piercing his eyes and the fabric clawing at his skin.

“Peter appears to be experiencing sensory overload stemming from an episode of misophonia.” FRIDAY answers quietly. Courteously. Peter is grateful for her sensitivity, even if she is just an AI.

 _“English,_ FRI.” Tony pleads.

“Please,” Peter asks weakly, “I just need a minute.”

“Can I get you anything?” Tony asked, confusion coloring his voice. 

“I need to be alone.”

Tony gets up and walks away, closing the door and having FRIDAY dim the lights and soundproof the room as he leaves. Peter doesn’t let out the breath he has been holding until he feels Tony’s footsteps stop, likely in the kitchen.

Peter hadn’t meant to sound so harsh. _Why can’t you do just one thing right? Why can’t you just be normal for once?_ Peter’s head aches from where he had hit it earlier and from dehydration after crying. He bites the insides of his cheeks again, rehealed gums breaking again under the pressure of his molars.

After laying there for probably twenty minutes, Peter finally opens his eyes. The lights were mercifully low and the world is quiet. _Well,_ Peter thinks, _guess it’s time to deal with this._

Peter remembered the first time this had happened in front of May. A couple weeks after Ben died, May decided it would be best for the two remaining Parkers to go out to their favorite Mexican place. He hadn’t even known a name for what he had been experiencing. _Misophonia_. After he learned about it, he remembers never having felt so relieved and so hopeless at the same time. 

He got up to splash some water on his face and rinse his mouth. The water he spits out is red. Peter never thought that he’d have to tell another parent about this again. If somebody in the outside world triggered him, he could deal with it, for the most part, gracefully. But home, home is different. Home is another story. Home is supposed to be a place of comfort and of safety. But with misophonia, nowhere is completely safe. Peter turns the knob and is greeted with a message from FRIDAY.

“Boss would like you to meet him in the kitchen.”

“Alright. Thanks FRI.” _Here we go again._ His stomach flips as he walks out and joins Tony in the kitchen, taking a seat on a barstool. Tony sets down a glass of water and an ice pack in front of Peter. Peter drains the glass and sets it back down on the counter and puts the ice pack on the sore spot on his head where he thrashed into the wall earlier. 

“So, you wanna tell me what just happened?” Tony leans folds his hands and leans forward on his forearms on the counter.

“I’m really sorry, I just,” Peter gulps, chest tightening again. “I’m sorry--”

“No.” Tony cuts him off, “No sorry. Okay? Whatever you need to say, you can tell me. I’m not about to judge you,” he moves to put a comforting hand on Peter’s shoulder, but then pulls back, remembering how well the last time went.

“It’s just-- it’s nothing. I’m fine.” _What a coward. You can’t even stick up for yourself, how do you expect to stick up for Queens? For the world?_

“Nuh-uh, that was not nothing. Tell me what’s on your mind, kiddo.”

“I,” Peter starts, taking slow, deep breaths to keep himself from spiraling out of control again, “I deal with something called misophonia. You probably haven’t heard of it, but it’s basically where my fight-or-flight reaction is activated when I hear certain noises,” Peter pauses. “For me, those noises are chewing and breathing too loudly.”

Tony gives him a thoughtful look. “It’s really embarrassing, and I don’t mean to react like that. It’s stupid! I wish my brain would just treat those noises as background noise, but it... it _doesn’t_. I’ve tried and it just _doesn_ -”

“Hey, Pete. Is it alright if I touch you?” Peter nodded and Tony wrapped his arms around the shaking teen. “It’s alright. You don’t have to be ashamed. It’s okay.” He pulls Peter away so Tony can look him in the eyes. “But next time,” Peter moves his hand up to wipe away a stray tear, “ _T_ _ell_ me if I’m triggering you. Okay?” Peter nods.

“I’m sorr-”

“No apologies! It’s okay! We’re gonna get through this.” Tony says, looking at Peter’s hung head, “C’mon,” he beckons for Peter to follow him into the living room, “What do you think about watching _Galaxy Quest_?”

“Sure! Have you seen it before? I love the part where--” as Peter rambles on, Tony makes a mental note to research misophonia. Because they will get through this.

Together. 

**Author's Note:**

> Misophonia is different for everyone who is affected, and Tony's reaction in this is really the best case scenario. Most of the time, people think you're making it up, or just being overly sensitive. But my hope is, by spreading awareness, these reactions will become less prevalent. Thank you for reading! Comment if you have questions about misophonia, or anything really:)
> 
> I'm also on tumblr @wh0doyouthinkyouareiam if you ever want to chat or anything!


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